Fifty Years
by Cassie Bones
Summary: Every Caskett anniversary for the next fifty years, starting with their "time in" and following the traditional and modern gift system. Fourth: Fruit/Flowers. For the Castle Winter Hiatus Ficathon
1. Paper

**For the Castle Winter Ficathon. Future speculation fic on the next fifty years of Caskett anniversaries. Enjoy!**

 **Year One: Paper**

He got her confetti.

An explosion of confetti, to be more precise. Tiny bits of paper in a rainbow of colors…all over her office. She'll apologize profusely to the janitor later for the mess, but she can't stop smiling at the thought of him somehow procuring an industrial sized bag of confetti. Or, better yet, sitting down with a few hundred colored sheets and shredding his own. Then there's the banner (obviously not homemade) and the little not attached to a balloon on which he asked her to dinner, as if it would be there first date. As if there wasn't the not-so-casual reminder that they've been married a full year right above her head. At that moment, she'd wanted to fling herself into his arms, but Vikram…

As much as she appreciates his help with Locksat—and she does, really—that man is a bigger cock block than Martha and the boys combined. Not that it matters much, anymore, considering she's lying on their bed, blissfully naked but for the crisp white sheet wrapped around her body, panting after a few rounds of long overdue, energetic sex with her husband.

She doesn't even let herself think about the fact that this little bubble they're currently in can't last that long or that she'll have to leave soon to meet…okay, no. No thinking of other men while she's in bed with her husband. Or…well, Castle's not in bed. He's right next to her, on the floor, the last round landing them in this odd position where he's seated on the carpet, wrapped in the duvet. She smiles at him, wraps slim fingers around his much larger ones, their wedding rings clashing and making her grin even bigger.

God, she's so happy right now and the thought that it might have to end soon…

Again, she tries to push unhappy thoughts from her mind as she rolls over to flirt effectively with her husband. She kisses him a few times, addicted to the way he tastes and smells (she might just grab another one of his old tees from the closet before she leaves, just to have something with his scent on it for the next couple of days, to hold her over) and feels. God, he feels so good. It's just like back when they first got together, when it felt as if she couldn't go more than a few hours without him between her legs in some way or another. Eventually, when she had to go back to work, they'd learned a little restraint (though they made good use of more than one empty space in the precinct when the urge was too strong…and the back seat of her cruiser) but that all went to hell when he kissed her tonight. It's only been two months but it's the longest she's gone without him since he disappeared last year. And it's worse this time because she knows exactly where he is, but she won't allow herself to have him, to put him in any more danger.

At the thought of danger, she sighs, presses her face into his neck from behind and mumbles out an apologetic, "I have to go," before she kisses him once more and moves from the bed. Every step away from him is agony, but she reminds herself that it's the only way to protect him.

As she dresses in their closet (the huge, walk-in one that still houses a few pairs of her shoes, but little more on her side of it), she thinks about the confetti bombs and the little card and the banner and remembers that she hadn't really bought him anything for their anniversary. Except dinner. Which, yes, came in a paper bag, but they didn't really get to dig into it as they'd given in to a different kind of hunger.

A hunger that's still there, Kate muses as the ache between her legs increases, already wanting more. She internally scolds her lady bits—and feels ridiculous for doing it—then promises them, and herself, that this will all be over soon.

She hopes.


	2. Cotton

**Year Two: Cotton**

Her heart is pounding, thrashing against her ribs as she makes her way home. Castle has been sending her cute, flirty texts all day. Little hearts and smiley faces accompanied by promises of what he's going to do to her later, after their very expensive dinner at Le Cirque. The thought of him shelling out so much money for one dinner was offsetting to her at first, but he'd insisted on making up for last year, when all they'd had to celebrate were cold burgers, melted shakes, and each other's bodies (although that last part didn't sound so bad to her now).

She asked if they could forgo present exchanges until after dinner, though, and he'd been confused but compliant. She's thankful for that; thankful that she has such a wonderful husband, who would move the world for her to be happy. She loves him so much and the flutter in her stomach increases, as does the _thump! thump! thump!_ of her heart. She is clutching his gift in her arms, disguised by an absurd pile of files that she'll actually have to go through over the weekend (why she ever decided to take that damn Captain's exam is beyond her). She hopes that she can sneak it past him without piquing his curiosity.

Doubtful.

The cabbie pulls up to the curb just as her phone chimes and she pays for the ride before juggling all of her things and climbing out onto the street. She breathes in the fresh air for a moment before reaching for her cell, bringing the screen to life. She grins at his text.

" _Change of plans. Nothing bad; just…different. I'll see you soon. 3"_

Different? What is her goof of a husband up to now? She's both nervous and excited to find out. The whole elevator ride has her bouncing on the balls of her feet, her arms clenching tighter around the box and files in her arms. She hopes that he'll like it. She's sure he will. He has to.

When she reaches the top floor, Kate takes a deep breath in and steps off, turning in the direction of their apartment, biting her lip harder and harder with each step.

 _You can do this._ Step. _It's not a big deal._ Step, step. _Okay, it kind of is, but you're strong._ Step. _You're tough._ Step, step, step. _You're Captain Kate 'Badass' Beckett; criminals cower before you._ Step, step. _Just breathe._ Step.

Reaching the door, she pauses for a moment to take a deep breath, then turns the door knob. What she's met with takes her breath away.

The entire open layout of the room is awash in candlelight and there's a violin playing somewhere in the apartment, though she can see neither an instrument nor a stereo anywhere. And the dining table is set with two places, directly across from each other in the center. More candles are lit between the two places and there's a man in the kitchen that she just barely recognizes from Alexis's birthday from a few weeks ago; Antoine, she thinks is his name. He makes an amazing soufflé. He nods to her with a dimpled grin, then turns back to whatever heavenly-scented thing is residing on their stove.

"Babe?" Kate calls out, because there is absolutely no sign of her husband, whatsoever.

"Bedroom!" his baritone replies, stretching across the apartment. She chuckles and drops her keys on the table in the foyer, then lugs all of her work stuff into the office, placing them down on his desk (which she has already decided to commandeer for the weekend). She stretches out her sore neck as she pads into the bedroom, where her tall, broad-shouldered writer husband is struggling with a bowtie, his hair already styled to perfection. She licks her lips just looking at the tux he's sporting and she catches the flash of mischief in his eyes through the mirror.

"I wanted to look like James Bond by the time you got home," he says with a sigh.

"I don't need or want James Bond," Kate retorts, stepping up to wrap her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. "Not when I already have Richard Castle. "You're much more handsome than he is, anyway."

"True."

"And oh so humble," she teases, rolling her eyes as she steps back and waits for him to turn to her. He does and she starts fussing with the messy knot on his tie. When she has it in a perfect bow, she fingers his lapels and tugs him down to fuse her mouth with his, sighing in relief as if she hasn't kissed him in years. It's been less than twelve hours. "I missed you today," she whispers against his lips.

"You'd have missed me a lot more if Gina killed me," he points out. "Three chapters; two weeks overdue. There's only so many times you can poke a bear before it attacks."

"Please do go poking any bears, babe."

"Deal."

She smiles up at him and rolls her eyes, before listing into his body. "So I take it we're eating in tonight?"

"Yeah," he says. "I didn't realize until a few hours ago that you might be tired, so I gave our reservation to my mother and her…male suitor." He shudders and she rolls her eyes. "Then I called Antoine to see if he would be available to cook for us and, lo and behold, he wasn't."

"What?" Kate asks. "But I just saw him…"

"For double his price and a signed copy of my latest book for his mother, I got him long enough to make a three course meal. He'll be gone in about twenty minutes."

"Castle, you shouldn't have paid that much for—"

"I wanted to," he insists, pressing a finger to her lips, softly. Kate purses them against the pad of his forefinger and sighs. "It's totally worth it," he adds, "especially when you see what I got you for our anniversary."

"Isn't dinner my present?" she asks, lifting one brow, pushing his hand away from her mouth.

"No. Second anniversary is cotton, remember?" She remembers. "I know we said we'd wait until after dinner, but I don't think it'll be of any use to you then."

Kate looks around their bedroom. "Where is it?" she asks.

"Hanging in the closet." She smiles up at him and presses a kiss to his lips, before pulling back to pad into their walk-in, audibly gasping at the sight of the long, dark blue dress hung up on the wall. She hears him chuckle outside but ignores it in favor of reaching for the dress, which must have cost a small fortune.

It's 100% Egyptian cotton and sinfully soft against her fingers. And, like all the clothes he likes to surprise her with, it's the perfect size. Quickly, she strips out of the professional skirt suit and grabs the appropriate (silk) underwear to go with her new outfit, then quickly finds a pair of nude pumps and checks her hair in the mirror. She'd curled it earlier that day and it's still neat and her makeup is fine for their night. It's not like they're going out anyway. She smiles at herself and spins in the full length mirror, watching the skirt flare out slightly. She looks like a princess, she thinks giddily, twirling like a little girl.

When she returns to the bedroom, Castle's jaw goes slack at the sight of her, his eyes practically bulging from his skull. She feels her face heat up in slight embarrassment as his eyes rake over her body, as if they haven't spent the last near-decade doing just that.

"Whoa," says the writer. "Do I have good taste or what?"

"Tone down the ego or I'm changing into my sweats," she threatens, but he doesn't seem perturbed, stepping towards her to plant his hands on her hips.

"You would look gorgeous dressed in a garbage bag," he husks against her neck. Kate sighs, her body shuddering slightly as a spark runs down her spine. God she loves his sweet, somewhat egotistical man. So much.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she purrs in his ear. "But I think we have a dinner to get to before our cook runs off." She feels his body go slack with disappointment but then he's pulling away, nodding with a small pout on his lips.

"You're right," he says. "As usual." He laces their fingers together and she can't stop the thrill of feeling the cool metal band on his finger rub against her skin. "Come on."

He leads her back into the main room, where Antoine has just placed down their first course. He smiles at them but Kate can tell he's antsy, ready to leave.

"Your first course, Mr. and Mrs. Castle," he says. "Crab and lobster stuffed mushrooms. Your main entrée, duck à l'orange, is in the oven, keeping warm. Your dessert is in the freezer. I must go now; I've left my catering crew without a chef."

Castle nods and reaches into the inside pocket of his tux jacket, pulling out an envelope and handing it to Antoine. "Thank you so much for all your help," he says. "It really means a lot to us."

"It's no trouble," Antoine insists. "Thank you for your business and your generosity. Happy anniversary and I hope there are many more to come."

"There will be," Castle assures him, squeezing his wife's hand. "I'll send you the book by courier." Antoine nods and heads out of the apartment with the couple waving goodbye to them.

Castle then leads Kate to the table and pulls out her chair for her, allowing her to sit before walking around to his own seat. Immediately, her hand finds his and their fingers interlock as they dig in. No words are needed.

CBCBCB

In the middle of their second course, the violin stops and Alexis comes down the stairs, though they just barely notice her presence between the wine and the delicious seasoned bird on their palates.

"I'm done practicing for the night," she announces, softly. "Have a nice anniversary dinner you two."

"Thank you," they chorus, not breaking eye contact with one another. Alexis just smiles at them affectionately and heads out the door.

By the time Castle has served them both dessert, the candle between them has burned out and Kate's heart has started thumping again, the thought of her—very well thought out gift—sitting on his desk at the forefront of her mind. She takes a long sip of her water (she hasn't had more than a few sips of the red wine he served with dinner) and pushes back from the table, to his surprise.

"You don't like the tiramisu?" he asks.

"Oh, no," Kate says, blinking down at him. "I mean, I love it, but I just…give me a minute?" He nods and she smiles gratefully before disappearing into the office for a moment. She returns with the box clutched in her hand and her heart practically bursting from her chest.

"What's that?" he asks through a spoonful of his dessert.

Kate smiles, placing it on the table, to the side of their plates. "Your gift," she says. "You might want to stop eating for this."

"Ooh," Castle says, placing his spoon down and pushing his dish to the side. "Must be good." She says nothing, biting her lips as she watches him undo the ribbon around the box.

Inside, there is a thick layer of green tissue paper, which his quickly rips through and pulls out a handful of fabric, lifting it above his head curiously. It's light blue and soft; looks like a little bathing suit. It takes him a moment to realize what, exactly, it is. When he does, Castle turns his wide eyes to his wife.

"Really?" he asks, his voice just louder than a sigh. She nods, biting her lips and he looks back down to the onesie in his hand. There's more than one in the box, but his eyes are glued to the writing on the actual piece of clothing in front of his face.

It says, in swoopy script, "Mommy 3's Daddy" and looking down he sees that there's a pink one that says the reverse, "Daddy 3's Mommy". Another onesie is inside, this one tan, with Papyrus font that says, "I aim to misbehave" and he chuckles.

"Just in case they get the worst parts of both of us," she says, thinking of her rebelliousness and his mischievousness. It would be just their luck, too, since they already have one good kid.

There are neutral-colored booties in the box and bibs and hats and a pair of footie pajamas with dinosaurs all over them that are just so adorable…

And then there's the small stick, just at the side of the box. It's pink and skinny and it has a 'plus' sign, just in case he wasn't sure before. Castle beams as he lifts it out and them practically skips around to table, dropping to his knees in front of his wife and pressing his lips to her still flat tummy, whispering nonsensical words against the soft fabric of her dress. Whispering his love for the life growing inside her womb. And for her.

"Best. Anniversary gift. Ever," he says as he stands and plants a loving kiss on her lips, before tugging her out of the chair and lifting her into his arms. Kate barks out a laugh as he sprints into the bedroom, his large arms wrapped firmly around her.


	3. Leather

**Year Three: Leather**

"Sh, sh, shh," Kate practically begs as she bounces the baby in her arms. RJ Castle gurgles against her breast, whimpering slightly as he begins to fuss again and Kate can't hold back the groan. "Ricky," she moans, using the nickname she very rarely voices aloud to him. "Baby, please go back to sleep. Mommy is very…" she trails off as her mouth opens in a long, loud yawn. She's working on two hours of sleep in the last thirty and it's so not good for her, but RJ is as stubborn as his mother. He fights sleep with both tiny fists and his little kicking legs.

"What are you doing up?" The voice from the doorway of the nursery practically has her falling over in surprise. She turns to see her husband standing there, hands on his hips, one eyebrow raised.

"He was crying," she tells him, by way of excuse. "I thought he might be hungry."

"That's why you filled those bottles the other day, honey," he reminds her, gently, moving forward to take the baby out of her arms. "You should be sleeping right now; I have night duty, remember?"

"But you have morning duty, too," Kate whines. "And afternoon and evening duty, as well. I never get to see him anymore. I feel so useless." Even as she says this, she allows Castle to take the baby into his own big arms, cradling him as he pulls his wife into his side.

"We agreed that I would be the housewife," he reminds her. "And we come meet you every day for lunch. He adores you."

"Except when he's crying."

"He doesn't adore anybody when he's crying," Castle says with a grin. "He just wants us to make him happy, even if it means we're miserable. He's just a big baby." He coos this to their son and presses a kiss to his forehead, before looking back to Kate, who is on the verge of tears. "You're not useless," he promises her. "On your days off, he's almost never out of your arms. He knows how much you love him, but he can also sense how bone-tired you are and he wants to scold you as much as I do. Especially today."

"Because he wants me to be awake for our 'special dinner'?" Kate snorts. "I doubt he even knows what year it is, Castle, let alone what day."

"Oh, he knows," her husband insists, smiling down at the little blue-eyed boy in his arms. "He's a little smarty, our kid." He pokes the baby in the tummy, softly, and he lets out a growl, shocking Castle. "And he's just like his mother."

"Hey!" Kate pokes him in the chest for that and Castle pouts at her, grabs her hand and brings it up to his lips.

"Stop poking me and go to sleep," he tells her. "Get a few hours in before work and I promise I'll let you feed him breakfast before you leave."

"Really?" Kate brightens a little at that. She hadn't liked breastfeeding for the first day or so because it felt painful the first couple of times, but now it was almost the only time they really spent together, just them. Castle liked to watch sometimes, marvel at their little family, but usually he left her to it while he bustled around the house, getting any chores done that he wouldn't be able to do with a baby strapped to his chest (because RJ is as curious as his father and needs to touch _everything_ in his line of vision). "Okay," Kate sighs. "Fine. I'll go sleep but I'm holding you to that promise, Mr. Castle," she warns, even as she yawns again. "Don't think I'll forget."

Castle smiles at her and presses a kiss to her cheek. "Of course, Mrs. Castle," he says, then presses another kiss to her lips. "Happy anniversary, by the way."

Kate smiles against his. "Happy anniversary," she breathes into his mouth.

CBCBCB

In the morning—or five hours later, Kate is sitting at the table, reading the paper in one hand while the other cradles RJ to her chest, his face hidden by his baby blanket. Castle and Alexis are rushing about around her. The latter is readying herself to move out, having passed her P.I. exam the previous month and is now making money. It probably doesn't hurt that her father owns the business where she's working but he swears she's making exactly the same as Hayley is (nobody believes him). But Alexis is just happy she'll be able to support herself and has even found a couple of roommates with whom to share her new apartment in the East Village with. Beca and Paige are just as excited as she is.

"You got everything packed yet?" Kate asks the younger woman as she fills a thermos with coffee and takes a long sip.

"Not quite," Alexis sighs. "I still have to figure out what I'm giving away. Our apartment isn't big enough for all my stuff. My room is only about half the size as the one I have now."

"You know," Castle starts, entering the room, but Alexis cuts him off with the flat of her hand held up.

"Save it," she says. "I'm not letting you buy me the apartment downstairs."

"But…"

"No." Alexis's expression is stern. "Dad, I'm 24 years old. I have a well-paying job—thank you—and friends to split the rent with. I'll be fine, okay? And, if I'm not, then I'll move back in." He brightens at that. "But only if you let me pay a fair rent."

"Ten dollars is fair, right?"

"Per hour?" Alexis retorts. "Yes."

"Per month, I was going to-"

"No." Castle frowns and she rolls her eyes. "Thank you for the offer, though," Alexis adds, pressing a kiss to his cheek. She turns to walk towards Kate. "Can I see RJ for a moment? I want to say goodbye."

Kate nods and pulls the suckling baby away from her chest. He's long since finished anyway. She hands him over to his sister as she straightens her clothes and tosses the nursing blanket over an adjacent chair, standing to stretch herself out. She's still exhausted from the night before, but at least she's had a few more hours of much needed sleep.

As she watches Alexis cradle and coo at her baby brother, she smiles and gravitates towards her husband, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Stop pouting, babe," she whispers in his ear. "It's supposed to be a happy day."

"I know," he grumbles, "but I just can't help but think about the time when she was four and I let her go on this baby coaster by herself. She was so terrified that she held onto my leg for the whole rest of the day and made me promise that I would never let her go." He takes a deep breath. "I just can't help but feel like I'm breaking that promise right now. And what happens when RJ gets that big? Will I feel it happen all over again? I don't like this."

"Honestly?" Kate says, tucking herself into his side. "Neither do I. I look at him—at both of them, actually—and I see my baby boy and the fifteen-year-old girl who came to me for boy advice and nearly died more than once under my watch. Whose father nearly died because of me and I-" Kate shakes her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Stupid hormones," she mutters and Castle chuckles, wrapping her tightly in his arms.

"They'll be alright," he sighs. "We've raised her right and we'll do the same with him…and any other little Castles that come running around." Kate smirks against his chest and kisses his sternum, before turning her head to press her cheek against it. They're silent for a long moment, just watching their kids interact, then: "You know what might cheer us up?"

"What?" Kate asks, her voice vibrating against his chest.

"Presents," he whispers into her hair and she laughs, pulling away.

"I thought we were going to wait until after dinner for that," she says.

"That's too far away," he insists. "Besides, I think you'll really like what I got you for year three."

"Not as much as you like mine," Kate purrs, nuzzling his throat.

"Presents," he husks, pulling her towards their bedroom. Kate laughs, following him inside.

He closes the door behind them and practically skips into the closet, leaving Kate laughing behind him as she reaches underneath their bed for the box, which is disguised as her sewing kit (yes, she knows how to sew; shut up), which is actually hidden up in Alexis's bathroom. She places it on the bed and waits for her husband to return and he does, rather quickly, toting a large gift bag with two puppies on the front, beneath a caption about 'Puppy Love' and Kate laughs. Her big goofball.

"Here you go," Castle says, handing it to her and Kate exchanges her own box for the bag and then the two are ripping into their presents like little kids on Christmas morning.

Kate is the first one to reach hers and her gasp is music to Castle's ears as she pulls out the brand new red leather jacket. She'd outgrown hers with the birth of RJ and hadn't been able to get back down to size just yet. It's almost identical to her old one, but not as worn through. And it's not the only thing in the bag. In addition to the gorgeous leather jacket, Kate also pulls out a pair of leather pants (which she practically salivates over) and leather gloves, which are as soft as butter and must have been _so_ expensive.

"Castle…" she gasps, trying them on. They feel great on her hands and they have good grip, too. "Babe, you shouldn't have."

"No, _you_ shouldn't have," Castle retorts, actually salivating as he pulls out the custom leather cuffs she had made for him. His initials, "RC", are on one cuff while hers, "KC", are on the other. They're attached by a strong silver chain. She hadn't spent nearly as much on them as he definitely had on her gift, but they hadn't been cheap.

"You like them?" Kate asks, her tongue poking out between her teeth as she smiled at him. In response, Castle pulls her to him, pressing his mouth down over hers in a kiss full of passion and love; it takes her breath away. When he pulls back, she's grinning dazedly. "I'll take that as a yes," she laughs and he kisses her again, wrapping her up in his arms as the world dissolves around them.

 **I hope ya'll liked that! I just want to take the time to address an anon's concern about them both ignoring Alexis and about Kate drinking the wine.**

 **First, with Alexis, they were kind of wrapped up in each other on their ANNIVERSARY and I'm certain that canon Alexis would not have held that against them because she knows how much they both love her and she knows how important the day is to them. I felt like it was totally believable.**

 **Second, red wine is okay when you're pregnant, as long as it's once a week or LESS. Kate had a couple of sips and that's totally FINE. My source is my cousin who has been a doctor for over thirty years, with his own practice for over twenty. I did consult him to see if this was a myth and it actually isn't. Which is why I made certain to signify that it was RED wine and not a different kind of wine that may have actually been harmful to a baby. It was supposed to be Kate keeping up the façade until she gave Castle the present. I hope this makes more sense and I'm sorry for any confusion.**


	4. FruitFlowers

**I know it's been a long time but finals are this week and I have so much to do also I got a new job and it feels like I have so much going on and so little time oh my gosh enjoy!**

 **Year Four: Fruit and/or Flowers**

"I'm home, guys!" Kate calls out as she discards her keys on the side table in the front hall. She hears a gasp and then a giggle as tiny footsteps tap out against the floorboard and fights back a smile as the office door opens and, from across the room, a large bouquet of exotic flowers appears on two chubby little legs.

"Happy!" RJ exclaims. "Happy! Happy! Happy!" He starts to toddle towards her, his view obviously obstructed by the plants in front of his face and his balance thrown off by the fact that he's a mere 16 months old and about as graceful as his father is. He makes it, though, and Kate meets him halfway, scooping him into her arms and hugging him around the flowers. She smiles when she hears his giggles. "Happy!" he says, again.

"Yes," she agrees, "these flowers make me very happy, Ricky. Are they from you?"

"No!" His favorite word. "Daddy."

"They're from Daddy?" she gasps, as if at all surprised by this revelation.

"Yes!" Another favorite, though he's only just grasped the meaning of both and that they're complete opposites (thank God, because the guessing game had gotten old very fast). "Daddy's flowers."

"For our anniversary, huh?" Kate coos, pressing a kiss to his cheek as she removes the flower barrier, holding him on one hip and the colorful bouquet in the other elbow.

"Happy!" RJ exclaims and she laughs, giving him another kiss.

"Where is Daddy, baby?" she asks and her son points in the direction of the office. Of course.

Kate deposits the flowers on the kitchen island and helps RJ to rest on her shoulders, holding both of his hands to keep him steady as she walks into her and Castle's shared office. He's there, of course, leaning against his desk in a dashing tuxedo. She approaches him with a bright smile and immediately presses a kiss to his lips.

"Thanks for the flowers, babe," she purrs and he chuckles, the sound vibrating through her.

"Thanks for the fruit." He nods towards the mostly eaten Edible Delights bouquet she'd had delivered to the loft around noon. Half of them are chocolate dipped strawberries shaped like hearts; she'd paid extra for that.

"It was more for Ricky's benefit than anything, really," she says, tugging at their son's tiny toes, which curl into the soft material of her blazer. "I know you've been feeding him candy for lunch."

"Lies!" he replies, chuckling as he presses another kiss to her lips. "I do no such thing."

"I have photographic evidence," Kate replies.

"From who—Hayley!"

"Alexis."

"Traitor. My own blood."

"I don't want our son's teeth to fall out just yet, Rick. He's just stopped teething. No more candy."

"You sent us chocolate dipped fruit!"

"It's dark chocolate, though; not that sweet."

"I thought it tasted a little bitter…"

Kate rolls her eyes and reaches up to take RJ down from her shoulders, nuzzling his nose when he whines. He immediately brightens and reaches for the loose tendrils of hair falling down from her bun. He loves her hair so much, but that might be because it reminds him of his own. They have the same shade of chestnut and the same waves. It makes her smile.

"So," she says, looking up at her husband, whose eyes match their son's, "what's the plan for tonight, Mr. Tuxedo?"

"Alexis and Beca have agreed to babysit," he informs her. "They'll be here in about an hour, so you should probably get dressed while you still have time."

"Okay, but where are we going, exactly?" she asks, handing him their child, effectively dislodging RJ's sticky hands from her hair.

"Le Cirque," Castle says. "Boring, I know, but I booked us a room at a hotel after; it has a fondue bar, which is open late." He wiggles his eyebrows at her and Kate snorts.

"Sounds great," she says. "Are the girls okay to watch him all night?"

"Alexis insists on it, actually," Castle tells her. "She hasn't really spent all that much time with him lately and has planned out a full Disney movie marathon with him and Beca. She has a schedule and everything. Which is why you should hurry and get into the shower; you do not want to mess with my daughter's schedules."

"I'm well aware of that, actually," Kate says with a laugh. She kisses both of her boys on the cheek, before moving into the bedroom. "Remember how upset she was when Ricky was a week early?"

"Oh god," Castle groans, "don't remind me."

He looks down at his son, who's playing with his bowtie and making the same concentrated expression Alexis always did at his age, with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth.

"What are you doing, buddy?" Castle asks, just as he feels his tie give and come undone around his neck. RJ looks up at him with a wide smile and bright, proud eyes, and Castle doesn't have it in him to scold the boy. Instead he turns and places RJ on the desk and reaches for his tie. "Let's hope it doesn't take another hour to do this one," he murmurs as his boy watches in fascination as he struggles with it.

"Who invented bowties anyway?"


End file.
